Most airports have dedicated oil depots (usually called “fuel farms”) where aviation fuel (Jet A or 100LL, for example) is stored prior to being discharged into aircraft fuel tanks. Fuel is transported from the oil depot to the aircraft either by a fuel truck having an on-board fuel tank (which is also known as a road tanker or a refueler) or via a fuel hydrant system that transports the fuel from the oil depot to a fueling apron of an airport. The fuel hydrant system includes one or more hydrant pit valves that are located on the fueling apron of an airport. Fuel in the fuel storage tanks of the oil depot can be accessed via the hydrant pit valves.
In one scenario employing a fuel truck having an on-board fuel tank, an operator drives a fuel truck to the oil depot, fills the on-board fuel tank of the fuel truck with fuel from the oil depot fuel storage tank, drives to the aircraft, connects a hose to a fueling point on the aircraft, and distributes the fuel through the hose and into the fuel tank of the aircraft utilizing an onboard pump for pressure. Fuel trucks are sold by GENERAL TRANSERVICE, INC. of Coatesville, Pa., USA.
In a second scenario employing a hydrant servicer (i.e., a vehicle which does not include an on-board fuel tank), an operator drives the hydrant servicer to an aircraft, connects one end of a hose of the hydrant servicer to a hydrant pit valve and the other end of the hose to a fueling point on the aircraft, and distributes the fuel through the hose and into the fuel tank of the aircraft utilizing pressure from the hydrant system. Hydrant servicers (which are also known as hydrant carts) are sold by GENERAL TRANSERVICE, INC. of Coatesville, Pa., USA. A hydrant servicer is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,305,805 to Watkins Jr. and 6,213,515 to La Terra, for example.
When filled at an oil depot, the fuel truck has internal overfill protection to prevent overfilling of a fuel tank of the fuel truck. In contrast, a hydrant pit valve has no such provisions. For at least that reason, most fuel trucks are not designed to transfer fuel from a hydrant pit valve to an aircraft.
Disclosed hereinafter is a hydrant servicer that is capable of receiving fuel from a hydrant pit valve and distributing fuel from the hydrant pit valve to the fueling point on the aircraft. U.S. Patent App. No. 61/242,435 to Watkins and U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,082,392, 6,324,840 and 7,327,045 to Watkins are each incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.